Spring motor



July 2s,'1-92s.' 4 1,547,608

- 'r. C. ROBERTS sramq uo'roR [ori inal Filed May 5, 1921 INVENTOR.

I, fTfieodore Effloberls I BY U 7 ATTORNEY Patented July 28, 19225.

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THEODORE G. ROBERTS, OF NEW YORK, N. L, ASSIGNGR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,Q

INC., A CORPORATION QF NEW YORK.

C L M IA E ON R EH. COMP N srarne M ron.

Original application filed May 5, 1921, Serial No; 467,113. Divided andthis application filed. December 1.6, ir /2a, Se ia1 1. T ,G0*/,377.

To all whom it may conccrn:

Be it known that 1, Ti-mooonn C. Ronnn'rs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city of New York, county and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SpringMotors, of which the following, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in spring motors, thisapplication being a division of application, Serial No. 467,118, filedMay 5, 1921. ld hile such improvements are capable of more or lessgeneral use, the present embodiment has been particularly conceived withreference to phonographic use, which requires certain features andrefinements which may be desirable in other uses, but are not alwaysessential. It will, therefore, beunderstood that in describing theinvention adapted to such use, that all other uses to which it may beput are comprehended.

An object is the provision of an improved spring and spring barrelconstruction adaptedtogreatly simplify the assembly or disassemblyof themotor, without the use of special tools and parts, and in which thepossibility of spring breakage is reduced to a minimum. In particular,the springs, as here shown, are adapted to hook themselves into placeautomatically,should they become unhooked, and also this feature isutilized in the original assembly of the motor,-no attempt being made tohook them before the motor is first wound, the winding automaticallycausing the springs to hook at their ends. Further, irregular strains onthe springs are absorbed by the peculiar form of flexible connection ofthe springs with the spring barrels.

The structure also has for its purpose the provision of easy winding anda more uniform transmission of power.

lVith the above'and other objects in view, embodiments of this inventionare shown in the accompanying drawings, and these embodiments will behereinafter more fully de scribed with reference thereto, and theinvention will be finally pointed out in claims.

In the accompanying drawings 7 Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional viewthrough the ring mounting portion ofa motor,

showing the present invention incorprrated therein;

Fig. 2 is'a perspectiveview of one end of aspring barrel, showing theclosure head in place thereon;

. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the spring barrel;and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view,'showing both ends of one of the powersprings.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View, on-the line 55 of Fig. 15. i

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the closure head and thespring-holdingwires.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on the line 77 of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawings. I

The horizontal spring-supporting shaft 40, upon which the springelements are mounted, is nonrotatably supported at its ends inbushings41 and 42 provided in the depending side portions 25 and 26 ofthe frame; the bushing 41 being shouldered interiorly, the greaterdiameter portion, inwardly of the shoulder, being unthreaded and engagedby the shaft, while the remaining portion is screw-threaded and engagedby the threaded reduced end 43 of the shaft, the projecting extremity ofwhich is engaged by a nut 44. The bushing 41 isthreaded eX- teriorly atits ends and. is engaged by nuts 45 and 152 bearing upon each side ofthe frame portion 25. The bushing 42 is provided with a plain bore andexteriorly it is threaded at its ends and engaged by nuts 46 and 4'?bearing upon the sides of the frame.

The shaft 40 extends beyond the bushing 42 and is shouldered, as at 48,to provide an abutment for the pawl 49, held in place by a washer 50 anda nut 51 screwed upon the reduced threaded extremity 52 of the shaft.

In the present embodiment there is illustrated a two-spring motor, thetwo sprin s 58 and 54 being housed in a singleospring barrel 55 freelyrotatable about sleeves 56 v ill being in turn, meshed by a pinion 61provided upon the inner end ofthe winding shaft 62 journaled in theframe.

A ratchet 6a is provided upon the winding shaft and cooperates with thesilent pawl mechanism, indicated generally as 49, andv which permitssilent winding and prevents reverse movement of the shaft.

The springs 53 and 54 are wound in opposite directions and act part ofthe time to counteract each other. In the present instance, the sleeve56 is rotated in a clockwise direction upon the proper manipulation ofthe winding crank. This sleeve carries with it the inner end of thespring 54:. Upon the spring being wound to a certain extent, the tensionthereof reaches a point where the casing is carried with the spring.

As the casing revolves, the outer end of the spring 53 is carried in aclockwise clirection, and the inner end of the spring, due to thefactthat it is secured to the sleeve 57, remains stationary. Sleeve 57 isheld .sta tionary through the medium of a brake applied to the turntableor to the governor, or some other part of the motor acting throughgearing. i

The sleeve has connected to its outer end a large worm gear 72, actuatedbythe unwinding of the springs, to drive the turntable shaft throughintermediate gearing (not shown). 7 Upon the springs 53 and 54C beingwound in the manner above pointed out, the outer end of the spring 54will tend to move in a clockwise direction and the outer end ofspring-53 willtend to move in a counterclockwise direction. The innerends of the springs are maintained stationary through the medium'of thepawland ratchet mechanism and the brake means, respectively.

The outer ends of the springs being con nected to a single integralmember, and tending to move in opposite directions, counteract eachother, and thus the. casing remains stationary. However, upon the Vbrake being released, the spring 53 begins to unwind from its inner endand drives the gear 72 which, in a well-known manner, drives theturntable through the medlum of intermediate gearing.

The spring barrel 55, housing the springs 53 and 54-, is cup-shaped, andat its open end is provided with a removable closure head 73 (Fig. 6')adapted to be held in place by spring-holding wires 74 and 7 5, clippedthereto by diametrically opposed overturned lugs 76 and 77 (Figs. 6 and7), and

engaging an annular groove 78 formed at the open end of the barrel. Theclosure head T3 is a disc and the lugs 76-and 77. are formed atdiametrically opposite points on the edge of the disc. To form the lugs,

.spaced'cutsare made in the disc at its edge and the material-betweenthe cuts rolled into to hold it tighter.

the desired shape. At diametrically opposite sides of the barrel theannular grooved portion 78 is provided with elongated slots 162 and 163,which are engaged by the outwardly bent ends 164: of thesprings. The

elongation of the slots relatively to the com bined width of the endsfacilitates insertion of the ends and also permits of considerabletolerances of dimensions, which are of C011- siderable manufacturingadvantage. When not in position holding the head 73, the wires 74 andspring toward a straight position, and may in fact be substantiallystraight in their disengaged untensioned position. This structure issuch as to fix the position of the head to prevent itsdisplacementeither inwardly or outwardly, and the joint formed by theengagement of the springs with the groove will prevent the leakage ofthe lubricant provided. in the, barrel, and at the sametime, the headmay be removed by merely inserting a screw driver, or the like,underneath the springs to release them from thegroove; l The motorsprings 53 and 54;, asshown in Figspfi and l, are provided at theirinner ends with V-shaped hooks 79,, and at their outer ends with bayonetslots 80, the teeth of the respective springs adapted to engage thelongitudinal slots 81 and 82 formed in the sleeves 56 and 57, whilethelbayonet slots areengaged by buttons 83 and 8st secured to thebarrel. A spiingseiaaratirig disc plate 85, having its center hole 86engaging the joint between the sleeves, isdisp'osed between the springs,the sleeves being beveled at their adjacent ends,-as at155 and 1516,-

thereby forming an annular channel in which the discplate 85 has 1tsbearing, and which maintains the dlsc plate 111 a normal plane ofrotation and prevents its longitudinal displacement. 157 and 158 areformed interiorly at the adjacent ends of the sleeves, so that thereissubstantially line contact between the ends of the sleeves, thuspermitting a limited amount of lubricant to flow between the shaft toand the sleeves without clogging.

.The spring structure is such that if the springs become unhooked theywill hoolr again automatically, and in fact they are initially assembledwithout attempting to hook them. The V-sliaped hook 79 at the. inner endof the springs will prevent the production of any irregular strains,such as might be produced'when rivets are used, and tight winding of thespring will only tend Vhile there is illustrated and described preferredand satisfactory embodiments of this invention, it is obvious thatchanges may be mad'e therein WhlCll come within the spiritand scope ofthe appended clanns.

l-laving now described the invention, "what is claimed as new, and forwhich Slightly convex bevels Letters Patent of the United States isdesired, is:

1. In a motor, a spring arbor, a spring barrel rotatably mounted uponthe arbor, a coil spring disposed in the barrel and connected at itsends to the arbor and barrel respectively, a closure head disposed inone end of the barrel, and spring means connected to the head andadapted to yieldably retain the head in the barrel.

2. In a motor, a spring arbor, a spring barrel rotatably mounted uponthe arbor, a coil spring dispose-d in the barrel and con nected at itsends to the arbor and barrel respectively, a closure head disposed inone end of the barrel, and circumferential spring means connected to thehead, adapted to engage the inner periphery of the barrel, to yieldablyretain the head in the barrel.

3. In a motor, a spring arbor, a spring barrel rotatably mounted uponthe arbor,

a coil spring disposed in the barrel and connected at its ends to thearbor and barrel respectively, a closure head disposed in one end of thebarrel, and a plurality of spring wires connected at spaced points tothe head, and engaging the inner periphery of the barrel, to yieldablyretain the head in the barrel.

4. In a motor, a spring arbor, a spring barrel rotatably mounted uponthearbor, and provided adjacent one end with an annular groove, a closurehead disposed in such end of the barrel, and circumferential springmeans connected to the head adapted to engage said annular groove, toyieldably retain the head in the barrel.

5. In a motor, a sprin arbor, a spring barrel rotatably mounted upon thearbor, a closure head disposed in one end of the barrel, a pair of wirespring members secured near the edge of the head at diametricallyopposit-e points, and bent into circumferential form to engage the innerperiphery of the barrel, to yieldably retain the head in place. i

6. In a motor, a spring arbor, a spring barrel rotatably mounted uponthe arbor,

a closure head disposed in one end of the barrel, circumferential springmeans engaging the inner periphery of the barrel to retain the head inplace, and a clamping lug formed upon the head to secure the springmeans thereto.

7. In a motor, a spring arbor, a spring barrel rotatably mounted uponthe arbor, a closure head disposed at one end of the barrel, a pluralityof spring wires bent into circumferential relation to engage the innerperiphery of the barrel, respectively form ing segments of a circle, andmeans connecting the respective wires at spaced points to the head.

.8. In a motor, a spring arbor, a spring barrel rotatably mounted uponthe arbor, a closure head disposed in one end of the barrel, a pluralityof spring wires bent into circumferential relation to engage the inner/periphery of thebarrel, respectively forming segments of a circle, andclamping lugs formed upon the head adapted to connect the respectivewires thereto at spaced points.

9. In a motor, a spring arbor, a'spring barrel, a coil spring disposedin the barrel and connected at its ends to the arbor and barrelrespectively, a closure head disposed in one end of the barrel,circumferential spring means having free end-portions connected to thehead intermediate such ends, and engaging the inner periphery of thebarrel to yieldably retainthe head in the barrel, and means removablyfixing the ends of the spring means in the barrel.

10. In a motor, a spring arbor, a spring barrel having slotted portionsadjacent one end, a coil spring. disposed in the barrel and connect-edat its ends to the arbor and barrel respectively, a closure headdisposed in one end of the barrel, a plurality of spring Wires connectedat spaced points to the head, and engaging the inner periphery of thebarrel to yieldably retain the head in the barrel, and outwardly bentlugs at the ends of the spring Wires, and engaging the slotted portionsof the barrel to removably fix the ends of the springs.

11. In a motor, a spring arbor, a spring barrel rotatably mounted uponthe arbor and having a pair of diametrically opposed slots adjacent oneend, a closure head disposed in such end of the barrel, a pair of wirespring members secured near the edge of the head at diametricallyopposite points, and bent into circumferential form engaging the innerperiphery of the barrel to yieldably retain the head in place, the endsof the respective spring wires being adjacent and bent outwardly anddisposed in said slots, to removably fix the springs.

12. In a motor, a spring arbor, a spring barrel rotatably mounted uponthe arbor and having a pair of diametrically opposed slots adjacent oneend, a closure head disposed in such end of the barrel, a pair of wirespring members secured near the edge of the head at diametricallyopposite points, and bent into circumferential form engaging the innerperiphery of the barrel, to yieldably retain the head in place, the endsof the respective spring wires being adjacent and bent outwardly anddisposed in said slots, to removably fix the springs, the slots beingelongated relatively to the ends of the springs.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 12th day of December A. D. 1922.

THEODQRE C. ROBERTS,

